Stay: an overview

Accommodations are usually the top expense of a trip, after airfare. You can decrease this cost by understanding the choices available and then deciding which option is best for you:

• hotel

• hostel, pension or guesthouse

• apartment

• bed-and-breakfast, Airbnb and related accommodations, including couch-surfing

Hotel

In most cases, a hotel is the most expensive place you can stay. Even if your room has a refrigerator and a microwave, and you're sharing the room with someone else, you're paying a fair amount of money for it. The good: convenient, typically 24-hour reception, someone to ask questions

The bad: expensive

Hint: look at online reviews, ratings and photos of the accommodations; bonuses are breakfast or transit passes included

Hostel, pension or guesthouse

I'm a big fan of hostels and their "cousins," guesthouses and pensions (pronounced pen-see-ohns, not like the American pensions referring to monthly retirement payments). I've stayed at hostels in the U.S., U.K. and Germany, and I've never had a bad experience. Sometimes they include breakfast and sometimes you can get a private, ensuite room, but they are almost always an affordable place to spend the night.

The good: cheap accommodations for one or sometimes two people willing to sleep in a dorm setting; great way to meet other travelers; typically 24-hour reception

The bad: expensive for families; can be noisy with little privacy; toilets and showers may be shared

Hint: opt for hostels that have some certification, like Hostelling International USA, Youth Hostels Association or German Youth Hostel Association (Die Jugendherberge); if you're searching for a pension, look at online reviews and the photos of accommodations

Apartment

This is uncommon in the U.S., but in Europe and other countries, you can rent an apartment for as little as one night, just as easily as you'd rent a hotel room. The good: lots of privacy, more of a "home" feel, potential to save money by cooking meals instead of eating in restaurants The bad: check-in processes vary, and you might want a break from cooking meals

Hint: look at online reviews, ratings and photos of the accommodations

Bed-and-breakfast, Airbnb and related accommodations

Bed-and-breakfasts, Airbnb and related accommodations -- like HomeAway, VRBO, Couchsurfing and UniversityRooms -- offer a variety of accommodations. As an introvert, these are not my first choice. Some people love them. Others, like me, dread them. All of us are right.

The good: similar advantages to hostels/pensions and apartments

The bad: may not be regulated; experiences vary depending on the owner; possible lack of privacy; check-in processes vary

Hint: look at online reviews, ratings, the number of people who have already stayed there (I opt for places with 100+ stays) and photos of the accommodations

Your next step: decide which option is best for you. For a quick look at some of the available accommodations, check out the photos below: an apartment, a couple hostels, two small family-owned hotels, a bed-and-breakfast and a couple carefully-chosen Airbnbs.